Musical event visits District of Columbia, Birmingham
Musical event visits District of Columbia, Birmingham
Students and faculty from Montessori Academy, Brentwood, TN, will be performing selected scenes from the brand new show Maria Montessori: The Musical at the upcoming American Montessori Society and Southeast Montessori Collective annual conferences in Washington, D.C.in March and Birmingham, Alabama in April, respectively. The show has been featured on the cover of Montessori Life Magazine, and is now in production at Montessori schools around the country.
Composer and creator, Mark Woodward says: "After researching Dr. Montessori for many years, I was inspired to write a “musical biography” on her life and work. My desire from the beginning has been to inspire and educate students and their parents. This musical definitely accomplished that for our community. Dr. Montessori’s life story is pretty incredible, moving and inspiring, and the musical brought that to life for us. I can’t wait to show a sneak peak to our friends in D.C and Birmingham!”
"5-year-old Maria opens the show. She’s spunky, optimistic, and likes to be the leader!" comments Woodward.
Little Maria bonds with her mother Renilde over the family knitting. Renilde sparks Maria’s imagination and ambition from the start, singing, “You can do anything!”
The school system in Maria’s day. “Sit still! Do not fidget, do not wiggle, do not touch that! If you just so much as giggle or make chit-chat, I will send you over there and you’ll be the one who has to wear the dunce hat!"
13-year-old Maria resists her father’s wish that she become a teacher. “Anything, anything but that!” She sings.
The erudite narrators fumble with the pronunciation of “Regia Scuola Tecnica Michelangelo Buonarati”. Maria is one of three girls to attend this technical school from 1883 to 1890.
The Chorus narrates Maria’s work in secondary school: “Page after page, figure after figure, she hammered at her cage with every right answer. She studied, and she studied…”
Through quality work and sheer perseverance, Maria is admitted to study medicine at the University. Well-to-do citizens are shocked. “A girl has been admitted to the U of Rome!"
Public outrage at Maria’s admittance to the University reaches the ears of the Pope. He carefully weighs the situation and issues a surprise statement in Maria’s favor, quelling the protest.
College-age Maria encounters her greatest challenge - Anatomy Class. “Limbs and organs, skeletons, brains; all preserved artificially. When you are dead this is what remains - welcome to your anatomy!"
Maria prevails and graduates with honors. Full of pride after attending Maria’s senior lecture at the University, Alessandro reconciles with his daughter.
Working with children in Rome’s insane asylums, Maria senses what they cannot verbalize: “With these two hands… I could be someone who has a purpose and a chance. If you unlock the power in my hands!”
“Her ideas weren’t born from her own imagination. She gleaned the best from all the rest who laid a foundation.” As Maria studies, doctors and educators from history inspire her approach to teaching special needs children.
A board meeting of the Roman Good Building Society in which they invite Dr. Montessori to direct a school in one of their tenement buildings. “Dear Dr. Montessori, we are trying to provide affordable housing in San Lorenzo. But we are having challenges with their ‘Bambinos’... Would you consider being the director of a school for these teeny-weenies, a Casa Dei Bambini? Ten hours a day, low pay, no benefits,… whaddya say?"Maria, now directress of the Casa Dei Bambini in San Lorenzo, begins to witness miracles. Above, young Aldo is having a surprising realization: “I can write! I can write!”
Children at the Casa Dei Bambini: “I’ve got the love of learning, it comes to me naturally. And I’m working freely and joyfully. ‘Cause I’m making a miracle to see - and that miracle is me…”
For more information and to listen to samples from the original student cast recording, visit montessorimusical.com. The soundtrack is also found on Spotify and YouTube.